This invention relates to oral swabs, and in particular to a swab configured so that suction can be applied to the swab to eliminate mucus or other liquid matter encountered.
Oral swabs are used for mouth care, normally during oncology treatments, treating patients in intensive care and treating patients on respirators. A swab, used by the assignee of the present application for several years, is depicted in U.S. Design Pat. No. D 282,698, issued Feb. 25, 1986. When the swab has been used, it is discarded.
Previous swabs, such as that described immediately above, have limited use since once the swab is saturated or coated with oral fluids, such as saliva and mucus, the swab is no longer of any utility, and must be discarded. Thus, several swabs might be required for a very simple process or operation.
Oral suction devices are known, as depicted in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,180,249; 2,637,106; 3,520,300; and 4,233,025. Similar devices, but used for application purposes (and therefore having flow in the opposite direction) are depicted in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,490,168; 3,324,855; 4,495,917; and 3,519,364. Such devices are generally quite complicated, are normally not disposable (unless having a disposable portion), and are therefore not sanitary without sterilization.